Checking Headlight/Wiper Switch

[zamog]

Dashboard and tailights/parking quit working. I took the shroud off the column to check out the light/wiper control. On top there are 4 soldered wires. 3 show hot when tested. How can I confirm the control is the culprit for tail and dash lights not working?

Thanks

[sblake01]

The lights you described are controlled by a fuse. I believe its the third one up on the right side of the fuse box. I'm speaking from experience on my 78. This may or may not apply to your car depending on the year.

[SteveJ]

Go to this page http://www.geocities.com/zgarage2001/z.html and look at the "Z problems". The fusebox is a common site for corrosion. I had one fuse box melt down on me.

My experience was this: I would notice the lights being out. I checked the fuse visually, and it looked fine. I pulled it and checked continuity which failed. I replaced the fuse a couple of more times. One time while the lights were still working, I lifted the cover to see the fuse glowing orange, not the best thing to see in your fusebox. Eventually, the fuse heated up enough to melt the plastic. I replaced the fusebox and haven't had a problem since.

If you want to get fancy, you can get an updated fuse box from MSA for $200. It looks sweet.

[zamog]

they didnt go all at once...it was gradual, in that some days they would work, others they would not...this is why I think it is the switch

[sblake01]

Still could be a fuse. Sometimes those old glass fuses will go out like that, making intermittent contact for a while until they stop working alltogether.

[zamog]

true....will look inside the melted nastyazz box at lunch to check

[2003z]

could also be the t/s switch, as the current goes through that one also.

[zamog]

just checked....aint no fuse in the "tailight" slot :|

:meltdown:

gotta pull the box now and see what's fugged

[SteveJ]

Like I said before, that fuse will glow bright orange without blowing. It was strange since I was using the rated fuse. The meltdown looks ugly, doesn't it?

[zamog]

it's been removed previously...there's no fuse holer thing on the left side

previous owner musta had the meltdown and bypassed the fuse

[SteveJ]

Yikes! It sounds like there was a hack job if you ever had running lights. So, how skilled are you at tracing wires?

[zamog]

hopefully it's under the box at the splice....we'll see